Bias cutting machines



Nov. 4, 1958 H. GERSTEIN ETAL BIAS CUTTING- MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 16, 1955 N 8 N8 s WM Nov. 4, 1958 H. GERSTElN EIAL 2,858,887

BIAS CUTTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 16, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORJ'. -H.

Nov. 4, 1958 H. GERSTEIN EI'AL 8 BIAS CUTTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 16, 19 55 7 3 Sheets-Sheet s BY CARL 847E? Wig-4R 2,858,887, Patented Nov. 4, 19 58 BIAS CUTTING MACHINES Harry Gerstein, Roslyn Heights, N. Y., and Emil Leiss, Ridgewood, and Carl Bayer, Paramus, N. J., assignors to Lever Bias Machine Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 16, 1955, Serial No. 553,654 12 Claims. (Cl. 164-61) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in bias cutting machines and has particular reference to automatic control of the mandrel from the changes in position of the cutting knife and vice versa. 1

In former machines of this general type,t-here was generally a set of wind-up rollers disposed in a given line and a mandrel disposed at an angle to the line of the rollers. When tubular material is passed on to the mandrel to be cut on the bias, it is necessary manually to adjust the mandrel bars with respect to each other in accordance with the diameter of the tube. It is also necessary to adjust the position of the cutting knife which is generally moved in a line more or less parallel to the line of the rollers. This is done in accordance with the desired width of the bias strip to be cut. 7

It is the main object of this invention to provide a means cooperatively associated between the knife unit and the mandrel unit so that as one unit is moved in one or the other direction the other is correspondingly moved with-.

out requiring them to be separately adjusted.

Further and more specific objects, features, and advantages will more clearly appear from a consideration of the specification hereinafter set forth especially when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illlustrate a present preferred form which the invention may assume. i

In brief and general terms the invention includes the combination of a mandrel having bars to be adjusted-to the size of the tube passing thereover, a cutting means, such as a knife, mounted on a support and movable in a line at an angle to the mandrel bars, and means cooperatively associated between the knife unit and the mandrel bars to expand or contract the mandrel bars as the knife unit is moved in one or the other direction.

' More particularly, the invention includes a wind-up unit having rollers and adjustably angularly around pivot point; a knife unit including a frame supported from the floor or from the wind-up .unit and along which the knife may be moved, said knife being movable only along the supporting frame in a line somewhat paralel to the windup rollers; a mandrel of a plurality of parallel bars adapted to be contracted or expanded in accordance with the size of the tube to be passed thereover and disposed at an angle to the knife-supporting frame; and means on the movable knife unit and cooperating with the mandrel bars to expand or contract the same as the knife is moved one way or the other.

A further feature comprises handle means for lifting or lowering the knife with respect to themandrel and for moving the knife unit along its supporting frame.

The present preferredv form which the invention may assume is illustrated in the drawings, of which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus with portions broken away;

Fig. 1A is acontinuation of the upper end of- Fig. 1 showing the drive-motor connections for the windup de-' Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the-line 22 oj f Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of, Fig. l; I Fig. 4 is a side elevation taken from. the right side of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is Fig. lgand, d p V Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6+6 of Fig. 1. J W 1 Referring to the specific form of the invention shown in the drawings, it will be seen that there are wind-up roll a vertical section taken on the line 5-5i'of -e rs 10 and 11 driven through suitable gears and belts from a motor 12 between which and the rollers there is a .slip clutch 13. Theserollers are journalled between the,

plates 14 and 15 which are mounted on pedestal legs or supports 16 and 17 fixed to the floor. The end plate "14 is pivoted to the pedestal 16 at 18 and the end plate 15 slidable along its pedestal 17 to adjust the rollers angularly around the axis of the pivot 18. The adjustment of the rollers in this manner is achieved by means of a rotatable screw threaded shaft 19 journalled in a lug 20 on the pedestal 17 and passing through an interiorly threaded bushing 21 on the end plate 15 and turnable by a handle 22. An angle gauge plate 23 is disposed on the upper outer surface of the pedestal 17 to indicate the degree of angularity.

The material being cut is 7 described, under a fixed bar 24 extending between the plates 14 and 15 and then over the driven roller. 10 and under and around the roller 11, and then wound in a roll 25 on a shaft 26 which is driven by-suitable belt and pulleys from the motor 12. This roll is supported on pivoted side arms 27 and 28 which are pivoted on shaft 29 which in turn is journalled in the end plates 14v and 15. The roll 25 rests by gravity on the roller 11 to maintain suitable frictional pull on the material. 7 v,

A main feature of the invention has to do with the op-f eration of the mandrel over which the material is fed to be f.

cut and passed on to the wind-up mechanism above-de-i sleeves 31 and 32 disposed on a bracket plate 33 fixed to the pedestal member'16 as shown in Fig. .2. Slidable on this bar are two sleeves 34 and 35 at spaced points" thereon. To opposite sides of these sleeves'34 and'35 are pivotally connected arms 36 and 37, theother ends, of which are pivotally connected at spaced points to horizontally spaced mandrel rods 38 and 39. A third mandrel rod 40 is disposed below and medially parallel to the; rods 38 and 39 and is pivoted to sleevessuch as 41, of

which one is shown in Fig. 1 and counterweighted by a weight 42 somewhat in the manner shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,291,707 issued August 4, 1942. Mounted on the jecting up from mandrel bars 38 and 39. This constru tion permits the mandrel bars to move laterally only The means for cutting the material onthe bias as it leaves the mandrel and passes on to the wind-up rolls, f comprises a rotatable knife 43 on shaft .44'driven by The casing 45 supported from a plate 46 to which the lower e'nd of -a' threaded screw shaft 47 is connected. This .shaft'47 ex tends upwardly and passes through a threaded borefin a block 48 and on its upper end has a handle49jtoturn" the shaft 47 and permit the motor casing to belraisedbr pin 50 on the plate 46,. extends upwardly and passes through a slot in the block a motor enclosed within casing 45.

lowered as may be desired. A

48 to prevent the motor casing from turning as the block. '48 is moved in a direction parallel to the axis of the knife shaft or as the motor casing is raised or lowered. As the passed from a man re 5 3' knife "tends to wear away it may be lowered to maintain its proper cutting position with respect to the material passing over the mandrel.

The block 48 is provided with two bored sleeves 51 through which pass rods 52. One of these rods has teeth 53 dn its upper surface which are engaged by teeth on agear 54 on shaft 55 mountedin a'bushing So on the block 48 and this shaft is turned by a handle 57 which will. cause the block to be moved along therods 52. By these mechanisms the knife canbe lowered or raised and can bemoved along across the face of the wind-up device. The rods '52 are supported at their ends in supporting plates which, as shown in Fig. l, are supported by pedestal members 8 to the upper surface of the windup unit, whereas in Fig. 4 they are shown as mounted directly an the pedestal lugs 16 and 17. These are alter- Hater-ems for mounting the rods and their associated eleirients. i i shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 5, the block 48 has attached theretoa'U-shaped plate 60 on which at its upper end "is fastened to the block in any suitable manner anaonlmower leg 61 has a pair of spaced upright adjii's'taiblestiids 'or rollers 62 which are adapted to lie closely ad acent to and on opposite side of One of the upper mandrel bars such as 39.' It is apparent that as the knife is'inoved along its Support in one 'or another direction the 'ma'ndrel bars will be caused to move in- "dr outwardly to adjust the size of the mandrel to theparticulargoods being employed. 7 V

"Inthe operation of the device, with a definite width of bias-strip to be cut, a tubular material of the proper diameter -is made and passed on to the mandrel, beneath thfeknife, cut, and .passed on to the wind-up device sufliciently 'faif to befgripped by the rollers thereon. The angle of the wind-up device has been adjusted to be at ri'g ht ang'les toithe stripbeing cut. 'Ihe relation between the knife, the -mandrel bars is so designed and arranged thatfas the knife cuts the tubular material into a bias strip, the stripwilljbe centrally located on the rollers,

andythis relation exists and continues regardless of the movement of the knife and the mandrel bars. After this adjustment is made, the motor is startedand the material is then continuously passed over the mandrel, cut by the knife, 'andfthenwound up onthe wind-up device. As the knifeis worn-slightly away the knifecan be lowered by the adjustmentmecihanism associatedtherewithandabove described orit can be raised 'for any desired reason, Byj

reason of the gravity tensioned lower mandrel bar the material is kept under constant proper tension. -It is obvious 'thatfinany other types of mandrels may be employed having movable bars, or movable boards, and. the like. 7 gist of the invention is the simultaneous move merit of the k nife and the mandrel so that the mandrel can. be accommodated for all diameters of tubular material andthe knife is properly adjusted at the same time to cut the material along lines resulting in the central'disposition of the goods on the mandrel.

i What we claim as our invention is: H

'1 In a machine of the class described having an expandable mandrel Whose size is adjusted by movement ofafle'ast oneo f its members, a knife support adjacent the niaiidrel and 'm ovab le in angular rela ion thereto, a cuttifi giknife on said support extending towards the mandrel,"the invention which comprises means associated with said 'mandrel member and the knife support for sim ul taneoiisly moving them whereupon the positionof the kfiifesupport and the mandrel size are simultaneously adjusted.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1, including a wind upd'vice adaptedto receive material cut by the knife.

"3 'A"machineas defined in claim 2, wherein the Windupfdevi'c'eiricludes"wind-up rollers so, positioned that the knife support when moved, travels along said rollers.

A machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said movable niahdrel member is along the mandrel and including a second mandrel member along the mandrel and means associated with both said mandrel members to move them towards and away from each other depending upon the direction of movement of one of them.

5. In a machine of the class described, material Windup rollers, a material-cutting knife disposed adjacent said rollers, means for moving the knife along a line substantially parallel to the rollers, expandable mandrel bars disposed at an angle to the'wind-up rollers, and means associated with the knife and with the mandrel bars to expand and contract the mandrel bars with respect to each other as the knife is moved in one direction or another.

6. In a machine of the class described, a materialcutting knife, a support for said knife adapted to be moved in either direction along a predetermined line, a mandrel bar disposed at an angle with respect to the line of movement of the knife support, and means on the knife support and associated with the bar to displace the bar laterally of its length in one direction or another as the *knife'support is moved .in one ,or the other direction.

7. In a machineof the class described, a material-cutting knife support, means for movingit along a given .line, an expandable and contractiblemandrel comprising bars disposed at an angle to said line, andmeans associated with the knife support and associated with the mandrel bars to expand or contract said mandrel as the knife 'supportis moved in one direction or another.

8. 'Inamachine of the class described, Wind-up rollers, a 'sup'port for the rollers pivoted around a predetermined axis, means 'for adjusting the support atdesired angles, a mandrel comprising bars disposed at an angle 'to the rollers, a support for said bars, means for connecting said bars to their support tolpermit them to be: moved farther'apa'rt or closen'toget'h'er, a knife 'for cutting material, a support for said knife, said knife support movable along a'given line at an angleto'the mandrel bars, and means associatedbetween 'the knife supportand the mandrel bars to 'expand'and contract the mandrel laterally'as the knife support is moved.

9. In 'aJmachine of the class described havin'ga man drel with a plurality of movable bars, a cutting knife,

and wind-up rollers, the invention'which comprises a support for the knife along which the knife may be moved, said support being substantially parallel 'to the rollers and atan angle tolthemandrelbars, a casing on whichthe knife is supported, said casing being movable along said support, a pair of projections on-said casing,

disposedclosely adjacent opposite sides of one of the mandrel *bars to move said bar laterally when the easingi's moved 'in' one directionor'th'e other.

10. *In amachine of the "class described having a mandrel with a plurality of movable bars, a cutting knife, and wind' up rollers, the invention which comprises a support for the knife along which 'the knife may be moved, said support being substantially parallel to 'the 3 rollers and at an angleto'the'mandrel bars, a casing on which the knifeis supported, 'sai'dicasin'g being movable along said support, a 'pair .of projections on said casing, disposed closely adjacent opposite sides of one of the mandrel bars to "move said "bar laterally when the easing' is moved'in onedirection or'the other,manual-means tomove the knife'casingalon'g the support,'and manual means to raise and 'lower the knife with respect to its' casing.

11. In a machine of the class describedhaving a mandrel with a' plurality of movable bars, a cutting knife, and wind-up rollers, the invention which comprises a support .for the knife along which the knife may be moved, said zsupport being substantially parallel to the rollers and at an angletoithe'mandrel bars, acasing on which the knife is supported, said casing being movable along said support, a pair of projections on said-casing,

disposed closely-adjacent opposite :sides of one of the mandrelbars to ,move said bar laterally whenthe cas rollers and at an angle to the mandrel bars, a casing on which the knife is supported, said casing being movable along said support, a pair of projections on said casing, disposed closely adjacent opposite sides of one of the mandrel bars to move said bar laterally when the easing is moved in one direction or the other, manual means to move the knife casing along the support, and manual means to raise and lower the knife with respect to its casing, the mandrel bar moved by the projections being so associated with other mandrel bars that when the first bar is laterally moved to the others will move correspondingly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,580,374 Dulbert Apr. 13, 1926 

